Under the Surface
by Charleena Anna
Summary: Starting after the events of S3, the gang is back in Hope Springs only for a few weeks before touring again. You really have to read to get a summary. Rated T for some sexual and death remarks. Please R&R since this is my first story for this site.
1. Something About Her

So this is Chapter One of my So Weird story, "Under the Surface". I know it's a bit long, but I didn't want to leave it at an akward place. Also, SW hasn't been on for a long time, but I adore it, and I just had to do some fic! Not complete but expect a lot more, with twists and turns. This is just the beginning, to establish the story. Please R&R, suggestions welcome! This is my first fic for this site so I'd like to know how I'm doing. Thank you!

NOTE! I line either signifies that that it's later or a different perspective. Usually both. Just so you don't get confused!

DISCLAIMER! I do not own So Weird or any of it's characters. Disney does. I do however, own Keely, and the storyline to this.

* * *

Each passing second felt like a year as time dragged on and on. In the Hope Springs public library, papers rustled, pens tapped, keyboards clicked, and an occasional sigh or child's laugh rang out through the shelves.

Annie Thelan sat hunched over her algebra book, her chin resting in the cup of her hand. She tried to listen to the explanatory voice of her friend Jack Phillips, but her face gave away her daydreaming thoughts.

"Then you just divide by two and… and let the monkey do the rest," Jack said, finally noticing the look on her face.

"Uh-huh," Annie mumbled.

"Annie! Are you even paying attention?"

She blinked and suddenly straightened up, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she said, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "It's just… I have a lot on my mind, you know? We've got those gigs coming up and I'm so excited! Even if it means we're only staying at home for a few weeks."

Despite himself, Jack had to smile at her enthusiasm.

"Okay kiddo," he said with a sigh. "Why don't we call it quits for today. It's almost time for me to meet up with Carey anyway. I'll help you again tomorrow. That is, _if _you're going to listen."

She blushed again, and gave Jack a sheepish smile.

"I will, I promise. See you later!"

"Bye, Annie," Jack said, swinging his messenger bag over his shoulder and leaving the library.

She sighed, slapping shut her book and leaning back in her chair. Yes, in only a few more weeks she would be back on the Molly Phillips tour bus, traveling from city to city, making music, and probably, she thought, coming across lots of weird things.

She rolled her eyes at that. Sometimes Annie thought of herself as some sort of magnet for weirdness. No matter where she was she always managed to find herself caught up in _something_, whether it was ghosts, mummies, or whole towns full of strange people. She absentmindedly rubbed the ring on her thumb, the one Jack's sister Fi had given her right before she joined the Phillips and Bell families on the tour bus, and sighed heavily. Now that Jack had left, she realized she had nothing to do.

Gathering up her books into her own messenger bag and walking down the stone library steps, she pondered what she should do with the rest of her afternoon. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice the girl coming towards her until it was too late.

"Oh my Gosh, I am _so _sorry!" she cried, bending down to pick up the books the girl had dropped on impact. "It's just not my day, I can't seem to do… any…"

She trailed off as she straightened, getting her first real look at the stranger. The girl before her was stunning. She was tall and thin, yet looked strong. Her hair was long and glossy, a peculiar shade of reddish-brown that couldn't be natural, yet obviously was. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips perfectly curved, and her eyes! Annie thought if nothing else, this girl's eyes were amazing; a soft sparkling green the exact color of an emerald.

"Sorry," Annie repeated, shaking her head softly after realizing she was staring. "I just… I should watch where I'm going I guess."

The girl seemed to appraise her for a minute, and Annie shifted uncomfortably. After what seemed like ages, her face broke into a wide grin.

"Don't worry about it," she said gaily, her voice holding the trace of an accent Annie couldn't quite place. "Everybody has an off day."

She took her books from Annie and extended her hand.

"I'm Keira," she said. "Or, Keely to my friends."

"Annie," Annie said, shaking hands with the girl.

"Oh wow!" Keely breathed, catching sight of the charm bracelet on Annie's wrist. "That's gorgeous, where'd you get it?"

"This?" Annie asked, surprised but pleased Keely's obvious beauty didn't seem to have spoiled her. "Just at this jewelry store at the mall."

"I love it," Keely told her firmly. "Actually, after I dropped off these books, I was just on my way to the mall. Want to come with me?"

Annie blinked. She had only just met this girl, and she was inviting her to go shopping? Still, there was something about Keely that was contagious, a glow she seemed to emit that made Annie want to get to know her.

"Yeah, sure!" she responded, smiling. "Let me just call Molly and tell her where I'm going so she doesn't worry. She's my guardian."

"Okay," Keely said happily. "And then, one awesome shopping adventure!"

* * *

"We're home!" Jack yelled into his house, his friend Carey Bell following close behind him.

"Oh good!" his mother's voice drifted back. "You can help me make dinner."

Carey groaned but followed Jack as they walked into the kitchen.

"Why isn't Annie helping you?" Jack asked.

"Oh, she went out with a friend," Molly answered, handing some potatoes and a peeler to Jack and an onion on a chopping board to Carey.

"Annie has friends?" Jack teased, and Carey gave a small chuckle.

"Jack," Molly said in a warning tone. "Although, I've never heard of this girl before. Annie said her name was Cara or Kela or something. Ever met her?"

Jack glanced at Carey, but Carey shrugged.

"No, mom," Jack said. "I've never heard of that person before."

Molly frowned in concern but before she could say anything the front door slammed and the sound of two laughing girls floated into the room.

"Annie?" Molly called.

"Be right there, Mol!" Annie called back, her voice followed by another round of giggling and a rustle of bags.

"Well, it looks like we'll get to meet this mystery girl," Carey noted with a smirk.

"Hey guys!" Annie cried as she entered the kitchen holding up a gauzy red dress. "Look at this, isn't it the cutest? Keely picked it out for me. She said it was 'too cheap to pass up'."

"Gotta love a sale!" Keely replied, and the girls laughed again, as if their shopping trip held the funniest memories possible.

"Well?" Annie prodded. "Molly, guys, what do you think?"

For a moment, no one responded. They were too busy looking at Keely to really notice the dress. But then Molly cleared her throat.

"I'm sure it'll look great on you, Annie," she said, smiling at her surrogate daughter.

Annie smiled back.

"Oh!" she cried suddenly, grabbing Keely's arm and pulling her forward. "I almost forgot. Keely, this is Molly Phillips and her son Jack, and that's Carey Bell. Guys, this is Keely."

"Nice to meet Annie's family," Keely said, smiling at them all.

"Molly, can she stay for dinner? Please, Molly?" Annie begged.

"Okay, okay!" Molly said with a laugh. "Yes, she can stay for dinner. If it's all right with her parents."

"Oh, it is," Keely said. "Thanks so much, I'd be honored. Now c'mon Annie, let's go curl your hair."

Linking her arm through Keely's Annie and her new friend left the room.

"Well she seems nice," Molly said sincerely.

"Yeah," Jack said, staring at the spot Keely had been only moments before.

"_Real_ nice," Carey agreed.

* * *

Upstairs, Annie and Keely were behaving as though they had always been friends.

"And that man, at the candy counter?" Annie laughed.

"Hold still or I'll burn you!" Keely warned, tugging Annie's hair teasingly.

"Man," Annie said, "I can't believe I'd never seen you around before! We could have been having all sorts of fun."

"And we will," Keely assured her, ignoring the comment about their meeting.

"I just wish I was staying in Hope Springs longer," Annie said wistfully. "It's not that I don't love Jack and Carey, or the girls at school, it's just… you're different, you know? There's something about you. Don't you feel like we've been friends forever?"

Keely smiled, releasing one curl and starting another.

"Maybe we were," she said mysteriously. "Maybe we've been friends in all our past lives!"

The girls laughed again, and Annie really did feel like she'd known this girl forever.

"I'm glad you don't think I'm weird," Annie said suddenly, blushing when she realized she hadn't just thought the words.

"Why would I think that?" Keely asked confused. "If anything, you should think _I'm _weird. I mean, everyone else does. People are always staring at me, or dashing off when I come around."

Annie rolled her eyes.

"Of course people get flustered, you look like a model! You saw the way the boys behaved downstairs, they were totally awestruck."

"Pssssh," Keely blew. "I'm no prettier than you are. Hey, let's do your nails next."

Annie flushed at the praise, hardly noticing how quick her new friend was to change the subject.

* * *

After a delicious meal that had been mostly filled with Annie and Keely talking about their day at the mall, Jack was happy to leave the table and start up his X-box. The others had gone into the other room to show off some songs to Keely, but Jack had wanted some time away. He started a car racing game and was quickly lost to the machine.

"Third place, not bad."

He jumped at the voice. He'd been so engrossed in his game he hadn't noticed her come into the room. But now that he'd spotted her, he was all too aware of Keely's lithe body perched on the edge of the couch mere feet away from him.

"Uh, yeah," he said, finding his voice. "I've uh, had a lot of practice."

"Can I play?" she asked, already reaching to plug in another controller. "Loser buys the winner a milkshake tomorrow."

His head spun at the thought of going out for shakes with this gorgeous girl, but he ignored it.

"You're on!" he chuckled.

A few minutes later, the two cars were neck-in-neck and Jack could feel the awkwardness between them melt away as they raced. Keely was really into it, and he saw her moving out of the corner of his eye as if shifting her weight would make her car turn faster.

"C'mon, c'mon!" she yelled at the t.v. screen, and then "YES!" when she pulled ahead.

"Oh no you don't!" Jack countered, pushing her car into the wall with his and crossing the finish line a split second before her.

"Nooooooooooo!" Keely wailed, and Jack laughed, enjoying her company.

"Looks like I owe you a shake," she said glumly, but giving him a smile at the same time.

"Hey, you played a good game," Jack told her. "I just played better."

He was shinning his hand on his shirt in mock superiority when a pillow hit him in the face.

"Hey!" he laughed, grabbing another pillow and hitting her back.

"A-hem."

At the sound of Molly clearing her throat, they stopped abruptly and looked sheepishly towards the doorway where she stood with Annie and Carey right behind her.

"My couch cushions are not weapons," Molly teased them with a hand on her hip.

Jack and Keely moved to straighten things up, Keely giving Jack one more peaceful shove along the way.

"I hope we weren't boring you with our music," Annie said, coming into the room behind Molly.

"Oh no," Keely said. "I was just wondering where Jack disappeared to. I almost beat him in car racing."

"Yeah, _almost_," he teased, causing Keely to stick her tongue out at him.

"Well guys, it's getting late. I think it's time for all friends to go home," Molly said.

"Okay," Keely said, climbing off the couch and walking towards Annie. "Let me just grab my stuff from the hall and I'll be out of your way."

"And I'll be back for breakfast Ms. P," Carey joked.

"I don't doubt that!" Molly laughed back at him.

The group continued to the hall where Carey nodded goodbye and walked onto the porch and down the steps.

"I wonder why he didn't wait for you," Annie said confused. "You're probably going the same direction."

"Don't worry about it," Keely said. "Anyway, I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" She hugged Annie goodbye. "Thanks for dinner, Molly. I'll see you tomorrow, Jack!"

She waved again and left, Molly closing the door behind her.

"What a nice girl," Molly mused. "We should have her over more often. As for you two, I expect you to get ready for bed in half an hour."

She smiled at them and left to clean up the dining room.

"Jack," Annie said after a minute. "What was Keely talking about, she'll see you tomorrow?"

"We're gonna go out for shakes," he replied, feeling a rush of warmth when he said it. "We had a bet on our game and she owes me."

"Oh," Annie answered.

Jack just smiled and went up to his room, not seeming to notice the look on Annie's face.

Yes, alright, there we are, the first bit. Rest assured this is not just some Mary-Sue, Keely isn't going to turn out to be important. Jealous feelings are already arising! So I hope I you like it, and I hope you stick with it. Thanks for reading (and reviewing I hope)!


	2. Troubled Waters

_Alright, here's part two. Things are starting to get a little more interesting, so I hope you enjoy it! If you R&R I'll love you forever!_

The next day, Jack awoke to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes. He rolled over in bed, his smile crinkling the corners of his closed eyes.

"Jack!" Annie's voice called, muffled by the thick wood of the door. "Carey's already here so you'd better get up before he eats all the food!"

"Mmmhfur," Jack groaned sleepily.

He heard Annie's footsteps retreat down the stairs and he tossed off his blankets.

A few minutes later he was dressed and downstairs, ready to eat.

"Oh man, Carey, you really did eat all the food!" he cried, surveying the empty plates on the table.

"Lucky for you, I made a double batch," his mother said from behind him. "It'll be just a few minutes so why don't you pour yourself some orange juice."

Jack did as she suggested and was just taking a big sip when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Molly answered cheerfully. "No, I'm sorry, I think she's in the shower." She paused. "Well, yeah, I guess so."

She pulled the phone away from her ear and held it out to Jack.

"It's Keira," she said sounded slightly puzzled. "She'd like to talk to you about milkshakes."

Nearly choking on his juice, Jack took the phone and went into the hall before placing it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said uncertainly.

"Hey Jack!" Keely's cheerful voice rang through the phone. "I had a great idea!"

"Okay," he smiled. "Let's hear it."

"Well, since I owe you a milkshake and all, racing God you are, I figured we may as well get some lunch to go with it. There's this place in the mall I saw yesterday when I was shopping with Annie, Johnny's? It kinda looked like fun. All retro, you know? And then afterwards I thought Annie and your friend Carey could meet us at the theater, and we could all see a movie. What do you think?"

Jack's brain raced. She was talking to fast and excitedly he could hardly keep up. Then he smiled.

"Sound's good to me. Hang on. Carey!" he yelled after taking the phone away from his ear. "Do you and Annie want to meet up with Keely and I this afternoon and see a movie?"

"Sure," Carey called back, and Jack could tell his mouth was full.

"We're on," Jack said into the receiver. "I'll let Annie know. But I have to go, I think Carey's eating my pancakes. Again."

"Great!" Keely answered. "I'll meet you at Johnny's at noon. I can't wait! Tell Annie I'm sorry I couldn't talk to her! Bye, Jack!"

He hung up and went back into the kitchen. His day was starting to look great.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­Later that afternoon, Carey was attempting to explain the math Jack had helped Annie with the day before. 

'_I can't believe he forgot he promised to help me,' _Annie thought sadly. It wasn't as though it was _that _big of a deal. The homework was for Ned, and he often let her slide on due dates. It was the reason Jack had forgotten that was getting to Annie.

'_I suppose I should be happy Jack is getting along so well with my new friend,' _she thought. _'I just wish it wasn't this well.'_

She sighed, and Carey looked up at her.

"C'mon, Annie, it's not that hard," he encouraged.

"No, no, it's not that," Annie said. "In fact, I think I get the assignment now. It's just… oh I don't know. It's Jack and Keely. I know I just met her but it feels like we've always been friends. And now that she's off with Jack, I feel like he's trying to take her away or something, you know?"

Carey surveyed her.

"Look Annie, they had a bet. It's just some stupid thing, it's not a big deal."

Now it was Annie's turn to appraise Carey.

"Are you… interested in her?" she asked curiously.

"What?" Carey asked. "Nah. No. I mean, she's… and she seems… but she isn't…"

"I don't believe it!" Annie cried, interrupting his rambling. "Carey Bell, you're interested in Keely!"

"I said I wasn't," Carey protested, but Annie noticed the tips of his ears turning pink the way they did when he was embarrassed. "I mean she's, what, five years younger than me?"

"Three," Annie egged him on. "She's seventeen. _And _she's smart, _and _she's beautiful, _and _she's got some amazing stories to tell. You can't deny it, Carey, you totally like her!"

"Yeah, well I'm not the only one," he muttered.

* * *

Across town, Keely and Jack were settled into a booth at Johnny's, a 50's styled diner. They were in the middle of discussing pirates versus ninjas when their food came.

"Mmmmmm," Keely hummed, taking a big bite out of her burger. "This is delicious!"

Jack smiled at her and popped a few fries in his mouth. As nervous as he got around girls, something about Keely made all his apprehension melt away as he talked to her. She was so earnestly enthusiastic about everything, he couldn't help but laugh and smile and want to show her more.

As they ate they talked about everything from their favorite type of weather to their adventures in elementary school. All the while they joked with each other, stealing fries off each other's plates and, once Keely's was gone, sips of Jack's milkshake.

'_I could really get used to this,' _Jack thought, smiling across the booth at Keely. Her green eyes sparkled animatedly as she told him about the fifth grade play she was in.

"Oh Gosh!" she cried suddenly, catching site of her watch. "We'd better hurry or we'll be late for the movie!"

She threw a few bills on the table and grabbed Jack's arm, pulling him out of the booth and out the door before he could protest.

"Hey, hey, slow down!" he called to her as she dragged him through the mall.

"No time!" she told him. "If we're late Annie'll kill me!"

Laughing, Jack let himself be towed to the theatre where he quickly spotted Annie and Carey.

"Hey guys," he greeted, rubbing his arm when Keely finally let go to give Annie a hug.

'_She's stronger than she looks,' _he thought.

"So what do you think we should see?" Keely asked them.

"How about 'Invaders from Mars'?" Carey asked in a mock scary voice, causing everyone to laugh.

"A horror movie?" Keely asked skeptically. "I don't know you guys."

"Don't worry," Jack teased her. "If you get scared, you can always shut your eyes."

"Haha," she said dryly. "Fine. If that's what you guys want to see, then that's what we'll see."

After buying their tickets and some overpriced movie snacks, they filed in, deciding on sitting in the middle quickly. Carey filed in followed by Annie, then Keely and then Jack. When the previews began to roll, Keely grabbed Jack's popcorn and pulled her feet onto the seat with her. Towards the middle of the film when Keely screamed and buried her face into his shoulder, Jack slung his arm around her and smiled broadly when she didn't pull away.

* * *

'Invaders from Mars' turned out to be much scarier than Annie had expected, but she had stopped paying attention about halfway through. Instead, she had noticed what was going on next to her, and her swirling thoughts kept her occupied for the rest of the movie. Now that it was over and the foursome was standing outside the theatre in the light, she couldn't pretend she didn't see Jack's arm wrapped protectively around Keely's shoulders. She bit her lip and snuck a glance at Carey, who she noted was looking intently at the movie posters.

"I can't believe you guys made me see that!" Keely was saying. "I'm going to have nightmares!"

"Just remember, dreams can't hurt you," Jack said, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

"Usually," Annie couldn't help but quip bitterly, recalling a story Fi had told her.

Jack shot her a look and she shrugged.

"Anyway, it's getting late, we should be getting home," she said.

"Late?" Keely said. "Annie, what are you talking about, it's only 4.30. Let's do something else!"

"Like what?" Carey said absently from beside them.

"We could see another movie," Keely suggested. "A funny one this time."

Jack nodded thoughtfully but Annie didn't think she could stand watching them cuddle for another three hours.

"No thanks," she said. "I've got to get home and work on some stuff."

"Carey?" Jack asked his friend.

"Nah," he answered, glancing at Annie. "I should practice for these upcoming gigs. Besides Annie's gonna need a ride home."

"Oh, okay," Jack said, and to Annie's dismay he didn't sound too disappointed. "I guess we'll catch another movie and I'll see you guys at home later."

"Yeah, I guess," Annie said.

"I'll call you tonight," Keely said, peering at Annie closely. "Bye you guys."

"Bye," Annie and Carey chorused, leaving the upsetting couple behind.

Annie felt a pang of guilt about her behavior towards her friends. Just because Jack and Keely were getting close, she didn't have a very good reason to be jealous. It wasn't as though Jack was trying to take away her new friend on purpose.

'_Or maybe,' _a little voice in her head taunted as she glanced back at them. _'You're really worried that Keely is trying to take Jack.'  
_

* * *

Standing outside the door of her apartment building, Jack was unsure of what to do. He and Keely had held hands throughout the second movie, as well as on the walk to the car afterwards. The only thing that afternoon that had been awkward was saying goodbye to Carey and Annie. At this moment, however, the only thing Jack was thinking about was Keely.

"I had a lot of fun today," she said, glancing up at him.

"Me too," he told her earnestly. "We should… hang out again."

As if sensing his nervousness, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself against him in a hug.

"Absolutely," she breathed, and he could feel the words tickling his neck. It was maddening.

She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes searching his.

"I really like you, Jack," she whispered.

Before he could answer, she pressed her lips lightly to his. He hesitated only a second before kissing her back, enticed by the warmth of her mouth. She pulled away all too soon and he stood there, eyes shut for a moment, wishing but not daring to pull her back.

"See you soon?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he nodded, unable to form any words.

She smiled.

"Sweet dreams, Jack," she said softly before disappearing into her apartment and closing the door with a yielding click.

He stared after her for a minute, powerless to move. Then he smiled and turned away, humming happily to himself. Sweet dreams, she'd said. And he had no doubt that they would be.

_Okay, typo last chapter… Keely ISISIS going to turn out to be important, so keep your eye on her. Also, sometime in the near future, I plan on bringing back Fi and Clu so watch for that as well. Now I should stop talking before I give anything away! Thanks for reading!_


	3. Shadow Of A Doubt

Two days after seeing the movie together, Annie and Keely were finally alone. They had made plans to re-arrange Annie's bedroom, and she had not so subconsciously scheduled the meeting on a day she knew Jack had plans. She had overheard them on the phone the past night, and was unsure how exactly she felt about their apparent coulpledom. On the one hand, Jack had sounded really happy, and he was much more cheerful than usual. On the other… well, Annie didn't like to think about it.

"This bookshelf weighs a _ton_!" Keely complained, pushing against it. After a few more attempts she gave up and slumped to the floor.

"Go on without me," she said dramatically. "I'll just lay here… don't forget me!"

The girls were laughing so hard they didn't hear Molly come up the stairs and down the hall until she was in the doorway.

"Annie, a postcard just came for you," she said, shuffling through the day's mail to hand Annie her letter. As she did, a small envelope fell to the floor. She didn't notice, and left the girls with a smile.

Annie, however, noticed the piece of dropped mail. She was about to call Molly back when she froze, staring at the address.

"Keely?" she asked, staring at her friends feet back as Keely attempted again to move the bookshelf.

"Yeah?"

"This one's for you."

Keely stopped pushing and stared quizzically at Annie.

"What do you mean it's for me?" she asked. "I don't live here. Why would someone send mail to me here?"

"I don't think they did," Annie answered. "There's no postmark, just 'Keira'. See?"

She handed the letter to her friend, wondering what on earth could possibly be going on.

Sitting on the edge of Annie's bed, Keely opened the envelope. Inside was one folded piece of paper. Annie's curiosity got the better of her, and she sat down next to her, peering over her shoulder as Keely unfolded the paper.

"Oh _sick!_" Annie cried once it was open.

On the paper was a black and white photo of a kitten. Or rather, a _dead_ kitten. There was an open window above it it appeared to have fallen out of, and it's neck was twisted at a funny angle.

"Why would someone send this to you?" Annie cried. "What kind of sick joke is this?"

"I- I don't know," Keely stammered. "It was probably just some stupid prank. You know, some sicko going door to door delivering his masterpieces."

"But why would someone address it to you and deliver it here?"

"I don't know, Annie, maybe someone overheard my name and thought I lived here. Anyway, it's just some perverted prank, let's forget about it."

"But-"

"FORGET it!" Keely cried. "C'mon, let's go make some cookies or something."

She tossed the disturbing photo into the trash and left the room, assuming Annie would follow her. She did, but not before she cast one more look at the photo. Annie frowned, noticing something she hadn't before. In the corner, someone had scrawled a big, red "3".

* * *

Later that evening, Jack and Carey were greeted with the alluring smell of freshly baked goods when they came through the door of the Phillip's house.

"Alright, Molly's baking cookies!" Carey exclaimed, walking into the kitchen. He stopped short, seeing Keely and Annie behind the stove instead of Molly.

"Don't block the door- hey!" Jack exclaimed, catching sight of Keely's flour-covered face. "What are you doing here?"

He crossed over to her, and kissed her quickly on the forehead.

"Annie invited me. She didn't tell you?"

"No…" Jack said, casting a suspicious glance at Annie. "She didn't."

"Well we're here together now," Keely said. "You guys want to play a game or something?"

"No," Annie and Carey said at the same time.

Jack and Keely exchanged a glance.

"Okay, don't everyone list things to do at once," Keely said flatly. "You guys don't want to all hang out together?"

Annie shrugged, busy with the cookies, and Carey shook his head.

Keely sighed.

"I guess it's just you and me, Jack."

"Guess so," Jack said, but with a smile. "Car racing?"

"Loser buys lunch!" Keely shrieked, racing from the room.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, starting to follow her. He stopped when he noticed Annie glaring at him.

"What?" he asked, ignoring the guilt creeping over him.

"Nothing," Annie said sarcastically.

Jack opened his mouth, but closed it again when Keely called to him from the other room.

"Coming!" Jack answered.

And without a second glance, he left.

* * *

Annie watched Jack race after Keely and she slammed the oven door shut angrily.

"Whoa, watch it kid," Carey commented, picking up a cookie from the tray. "What'd that oven ever do to you, huh?"

"I just hate it!" Annie broke out. "Keely is _my _friend. And then Jack just waltzes in and she runs off with him. I can't stand it!"

She glared angrily down at the cookie tray, fully aware she sounded like a three year old and not caring.

"Well, maybe you should try to hang out with both of them," Carey said through a mouthful of cookie. "Jack's your friend too."

"Yeah, but…" she trailed off and sighed exasperatedly.

"But?"

"Nothing. You're probably right. I'm over-reacting. I'll go in there and race cars with them."

At the sound of the laughter from the next room, Annie stopped.

"Maybe I'll wait a little while," she said.

* * *

Jack had won the first race, but Keely had managed to beat him on the second and third. Now, on the fourth race, Jack was determined to even the score.

"Jack?" Keely asked as their cars rounded the bend.

"Hurm?" Jack mumbled, concentrating on the game.

"Am I your girlfriend?"

Jack's car drove into the wall.

He hit 'pause' on his controller and turned to look at her, unsure of what to say.

"I mean, we hold hands and stuff," she told him, blushing slightly. "And we hang out sometimes. And in the kitchen earlier, you kissed me… and, I like you."

"I like you too," Jack said shyly.

"So, am I your girlfriend?"

Jack thought for a moment. Everything she had said was true, and he _did _like her, a lot. But there was something in the back of his mind, a thought tugging at him, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

"Jack?" Keely asked uncertainly.

He looked at her, her green eyes curious, hopeful, and hiding a glimmer of hurt. Suddenly, any other thoughts Jack might have didn't matter.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Jack asked her teasingly.

She leaned into him, setting her game controller on the table.

"Yes," she said sweetly.

And then she kissed him.

* * *

She hadn't meant to see it. She didn't _want _to see it. But there they were, in front of her. Jack and Keely, wrapped in each other's arms. Jack and Keely, kissing.

Unwanted tears sprang to her eyes and Annie blinked furiously. She had been ready to talk to them, ready to try to ignore their glances and be with both her friends. And now they were kissing. She spun on her heal and raced to her bedroom, throwing herself onto the bed. And then, unsure of the real reason, Annie put her face in her pillow and cried.

_Mkay, shorter than the other two. But we're getting into the paranormal bit now, so that's something. And YES there will be Fi and Clu, I just need to establish some other stuff first. Carey will become a bigger part as well, and eventually we'll see things from Keely's perspective. I know she's a bit Mary-Sue right now, but trust me, that will change. Hope you like!_


	4. Curiosity

_This one is loooooooooooooooooooong. But a lot needed to be said and done here. AND there is a lot of line-jumping because there are a lot of perspective changes. You ever get Keely's and Carey's in this one! I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

A week later, Annie found herself walking home from the mall with Keely. Seeing her with Jack had gotten easier, but it still bothered Annie more than she'd like to admit. However, Keely seemed to sense her discomfort, so she refrained from talking about him- _most _of the time. Still, Annie was determined not to let such a good friend slip away from her, so they had hung out together several times since she had found them on the couch. Today, they had lost track of time shopping and had stayed out for dinner. Hope Springs wasn't a particularly dangerous town, so Molly had agreed to let them walk home.

"Maybe I should have gotten the blue shirt instead," Annie said. "It might go better-"

She stopped, causing Keely to walk into her.

"Annie?" she asked curiously. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah but… didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Annie opened her mouth to explain, but she heard it again, a ghost-like whisper.

"It sounds like a child!" Annie cried. "Calling for her cat. You can hear it can't you?"

"No," Keely said firmly. "It must be your imagination."

"I'm sure it wasn't," Annie said. "Some poor kid has lost her cat. We should help her."

"Annie, I don't think it's any of-"

"_Here, kitty, kitty…"_

"See!" Annie cried triumphantly, noting the look on her friend's face. "I _told _you I heard something. C'mon, let's go help."

"Annie…"

But Annie wasn't listening. She was busy trailing the voice.

"It's sounds like someone's in that building!" Annie said, surprised.

The building in front of her was large, and clearly abandoned. It looked as though it could collapse any moment, and there was caution tape strewn across the windows.

"_C'mon kitty, kitty…" _

"Someone's in there," Annie said, certain of it. "We have to go in."

"NO, we DON'T," Keely practically yelled, grabbing Annie's arm. "We HAVE to go home, or Molly's going to be worried about you."

"Look at this place! If there's a kid in there they could get seriously hurt!"

"And so could we! Annie, don't be stupid!"

"You wait out here then," Annie told her. "I'm going inside."

"Wait."

At the quiet tone, Annie turned and looked at her friend curiously.

"If I go in with you, you have to promise me something," Keely said seriously.

"Okay," Annie answered, puzzled at her behavior.

"If something… happens. You can't scream. Just wait five minutes. Then everything will be okay again."

Annie stared at Keely.

"What do you-"

"Annie, promise me!"

"Okay, I promise," she said, confused by the request, and the seriousness in her voice. "Now let's go."

Setting down their bags, they climbed through the disintegrating doorway.

* * *

"You're never gonna beat me, bro."

Carey maneuvered his car around the corners with ease. He'd been playing the game longer than Jack, and was always pleased when he could beat his friend.

"Man," Jack grumbled as Carey finished the race a good six seconds before Jack did.

"Can't beat a pro, Jack," Carey teased.

"You should play against Keely sometime," Jack told him. "She's pretty good."

At his girlfriend's name, Carey felt his neck muscles tighten.

"Is this going to be one of those times where you spend the next three hours talking about how great she is?" he asked, trying to sound good-natured and not annoyed.

Jack shoved him.

"I don't talk about her _that _much," he protested. "She's just…"

"I know, I know. You have a 'connection' right?"

Jack glared at him.

"Think it's lame all you want but someday you'll meet someone who… Carey? Hey, man, are you okay?"

While he was talking, Carey had begun to stare fixedly at the window.

"What time did Annie say she was gonna be home?" he asked suddenly, standing up.

"I don't know, why?"

Carey didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the closet and grabbed two coats. One he threw and Jack and the other he put on.

"Get a flashlight," he instructed, heading for the front door and walking down the porch steps.

"Carey, wait!" Jack called from behind him. "Carey… where are we going?"

"I don't know," Carey answered honestly, his face a mixture of fear and determination. "But we have to go there.

Jack fell silent, and Carey was lost in his thoughts. He _didn't _know where he was taking them, but he felt an overpowering urge to get there, and fast. It was as though someone was calling to him, pulling him towards them. He was reluctant to believe that's what was happening, but compelled to go forward.

"Ah!" he cried, knees bucking beneath him.

A searing wave of fear had washed over him, so strong it made his head pound and the world go black before his eyes. He could hear Jack shouting at him, but it was at a distance. Then suddenly, he saw a face in the blackness, a face that mirrored the terror he was feeling. He didn't understand it, but he didn't care.

"She's in trouble," he winced.

Using Jack to pull himself up, he gritted his teeth and began to run.

* * *

"Great, just great. 'Let's follow the mysterious noise in the darkness! Oh look, it sounds like it's coming from this decaying building. Why don't we go in?' Stupid!"

Keely was muttering to herself as she walked along the pitch-black hallway, trying not to stumble.

'_Why did I let her drag me into here?' _she wondered. _'Why did I let her come in here? There's no cat, there's no kid, and if anything happens to Annie it'll be my fault!'_

"Annie?" she called suddenly, wondering how far ahead of her her friend had gotten. When there was no answer, she yelled again.

"Annie! Can you hear me?"

"_I can hear you."_

The voice came out of nowhere, and despite herself Keely shuddered.

"You're not real," she whispered, knowing as she said it she was lying. Whoever was talking _was _real, and it was pulling her towards it.

"Stop it!" she cried. "This isn't the time!"

"_Here, kitty, kitty… come and play…"_

And then there were no more floorboards beneath her feet. For a split second she was filled with mind-numbing fear… and then there was nothing but blackness.

* * *

The sound of splintering wood nearly stopped her heart. 

"Keely?" she called out, turning on her heel. "Keely?"

The air was filled with rapacious laughter. It made Annie's hair stand on end.

"_Goodbye, kitty."_

Eyes wide and frantic, Annie ran. She didn't know how she would find Keely in the dark, but she knew suddenly that coming in here had been a mistake. The stairs she had so carefully come up suddenly loomed in front of her, and Annie half fell half slid down two flights of them, scratching her hands and face in the process. When she finally stopped falling, what she saw made her wish she hadn't. There, in a patch of moonlight, lay Keely, her open eyes wide and staring, unblinking. Her mouth was slightly agape and a thin trail of blood had rolled down her cheek.

"Keely?" she asked in a small voice, crawling over to her friend. Reaching her, she noticed Keely's neck was bent at un-natural angle. At that, Annie did what she promised she wouldn't do.

She screamed.

* * *

Her scream ripped through the air like lightning, and ahead of him, Carey ran faster. Jack felt his own heart skip a beat as he recognized the scream.

'_Annie,' _he thought. _'That was Annie.'_

"In here!" Carey yelled, crashing through the doorway of a run-down building.

"Annie!" he yelled. "Keira! Are you in here?"

"Keely!" Jack shouted from behind him, suddenly feeling as though things were very, very wrong. "Where are you?"

"Upstairs," Carey said frantically. "Watch your step."

Without question, Jack followed Carey up the rickety staircase.

* * *

Annie cradled her knees in her arms, creating a ball with her body. Tears fell down her face, but she hardly felt them. She kept thinking there had to be something wrong, that she wasn't seeing what she thought she was seeing. Keely couldn't be- glowing?

But she was. A bright light encased her and then disappeared with a flash. A gasp came from the body on the floor as her neck seemed to snap back into position. Annie watched, horrified as Keely blinked slowly at her.

"Don't tell anyone," she rasped. "I'll explain it later, I-"

"Annie!"

Startled, Annie looked to the doorway. Jack and Carey stood there, faces pale in the moonlight. Jack was staring at her in concern, and for a brief moment she though he was going to run to her. Then he realized Keely was in worse shape and the moment was gone.

"Oh my God," he said, rushing to his girlfriend. "Keely… Keira…"

"I'm okay," she said, letting Jack help her up. Almost immediately she fell again, eyes rolling upwards. Jack and Carey both grabbed for her, and it was Carey who seized her into his arms.

"Annie," Jack said, this time helping her stand. "What on earth _happened?_"

"I- I don't know," she stammered, still mystified with what she had seen. "We heard this voice, a kid. We thought someone was in trouble. And then she fell through the floorboards and I fell down the stairs and I thought…"

"We heard you scream," Jack told her, his hand on her arm to steady her.

"I thought she was dead," Annie continued, and suddenly the image of Keely as she had been only moments before came into her minds eye. Sinking to her knees, Annie heaved, the contents of her stomach falling to the hard wood floor.

"I'm taking Keely outside," Carey announced. "I'll lie her down on the grass. Take care of Annie."

Jack nodded, his hand already on her back. He heard Carey's footsteps leave, and for a moment he was compelled to go with him. Keely was his girlfriend, and he should be with her.

'_Carey will take care of her,' _he reasoned. _'Right now, Annie needs you.' _

When her stomach was empty, Annie fell against Jack, crying softly. He wrapped his arms around her tentatively.

"It's okay," he whispered to her. "It's okay now, Annie."

* * *

Outside, Carey sat down on the grass, cradling Keely's head in his lap. He noticed some of her blood had rubbed off on his shirt, but he didn't care. He needed to know that she was okay.

He rubbed some dirt off her forehead, and as he did, her eyes opened and she sat straight up, nearly causing their heads to collide. They stared at him for a moment, and he froze, lost in their intensity. He could see himself reflected there and he bent his head towards her as if a magnet was pulling him. He heard her inhale sharply and he stopped centimeters away from her mouth. He gazed at her, drinking in her face. At this proximity he could see every freckle lining her nose, every fleck of gold in her eyes. Their eyes still locked, he brought his hand to her face and wiped the blood off her mouth with his thumb. Her eyes glistened, and her lips opened slightly, as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn't. He swallowed, eyes darting to her lips. They were full and moist, he noticed, and they were driving him crazy. Looking back into her eyes once more he gazed at her searchingly before finally closing them and pressing his forehead to hers. He felt her sigh more than he heard it, and he squeezed her shoulders lightly, captivated by the tension between them.

"Carey! Keely!"

They broke away sharply, and he could already feel the cold seeping into all the places she'd been pressed against him.

"Keely," Jack breathed in relief, hugging her tightly.

"I'm okay," she repeated, and Jack pressed his lips to hers.

Carey closed his eyes, fighting a moment of nausea at the scene.

'_I almost just did that,' _he thought with disbelief. _'I almost just kissed Jack's girlfriend.' _

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jack was saying, rocking her back and forth. He glanced at Annie. "Both of you. What where you guys thinking?"

"We just wanted to help the kid," Keely said vacantly.

Annie stared off into space as Jack continued to stroke Keely's hair, and Carey had his eyes closed, replaying the events of his evening in his mind, trying to untangle them. Over Jack's shoulder, Keely stared at him, hurt and uncertainty furrowing her brow as the four of them sat there, each lost in their own world of confusion.

* * *

_Sorry for all the line-jumping, just needed to go back and forth between people a lot. Hopefully the fifth chapter will be up soon. Please R&R! _


	5. Disbelief

Jack put a finger to his lips and unlocked the front door. Slowly, he pushed it opened, praying it wouldn't creak. His mother had gone to bed hours ago, leaving Jack and Carey to watch for the girls. He suspected if she woke up now, there would be a lot of explaining to do, and frankly, he wasn't sure if anyone _could _explain. The story of Keely and Annie going into that building to "help a girl find her cat" troubled him, but he suspected any other story would trouble him even more, so he didn't press the matter.

Walking into the kitchen, he held the door open for the others to walk through.

"Get some ice," Annie whispered, cradling her swollen wrist. She had sprained it when she'd taken the spill down the stairs, but the pain was only now catching up to her.

"Let's clean you guys up," Carey said, glancing back and forth between the two girls. Both were scratched and bloodied, and he knew they'd look worse in the morning. They had to at least try to disinfect themselves now.

"Right," Jack said back, handing Annie some ice. He took a dishrag off the sink and began wiping Annie's face with it.

"Jack, I don't need you to do that," she protested, but she let him do it anyway.

"Why doesn't Keely go upstairs and borrow some of your pajamas?" Carey asked Annie. "I think she should spend the night, if she wasn't planning to already."

"Okay," Annie said, not glancing at her friend.

"I'll help her up the stairs," Jack said, abandoning Annie and crossing to Keely's side. "You've been through a lot, I don't want you to pass out again."

She nodded, and winced, touching her neck.

"You okay?" Jack asked, immediately reaching to steady her.

"Yeah," she told him. "I'll be fine."

Once they'd tiptoed past Molly's room and into Annie's, Jack gave her hand a squeeze.

"I should get in my pajamas too," he told her. "Carey was staying over anyway, so we can all crash in the living room. You and I can pull some blankets and stuff back downstairs."

She smiled at him, and Jack was suddenly overcome with emotion. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I was really worried about you, Keira," he told her, using her full name instead of her nickname. "Hearing Annie scream, going into that building… I was really scared."

"How did you know?"

He pulled away and looked down at her?

"Know what?"

"Where we'd be. How did you know that?"

'_Good question,' _he thought. _'I don't even know how we knew.'_

"Carey… had a hunch," he said carefully.

"A hunch?"

"Look," he told her. "You're safe now. You and Annie both. And it's late. Let's get in our pajamas, go downstairs, and forget this night ever happened."

"I'd like that," Keely whispered.

Giving her a soft kiss, Jack left the room, desperately hoping the evening would be as easy to put behind him as he was making it sound.

* * *

"Jack? Carey?" 

Hearing only snores, Annie rolled over on her side. As she'd thought, Keely wasn't laying in the sleeping bag Jack had brought downstairs for her. A few minutes ago, Annie had been woken up by the sound of rustling blankets and had known, even in her half-asleep state, that Keely had left the room.

Quietly, so as not to alert the boys, Annie crawled out of her own sleeping bag and left the living room. Seeing the front door slightly ajar, she crossed to it. Keely was sitting on the porch swing, watching the sunrise.

"I think you owe me an explanation," Annie said by way of greeting, and Keely flinched.

"I know I do," she said, facing her friend. "And trust me, Annie, I never wanted you to get mixed up in this."

"In _what? _Keely, I know what I saw in there. You weren't…" she paused, the words hard for her to say.

"I was dead," Keely told her flatly. "I know."

"How?" Annie gulped.

"It's kind of a long story."

Annie crossed to the swing and sat down.

"After a night like tonight, I don't care if it takes a week to hear it."

* * *

The next morning, Molly had been surprised to see the four teenagers fast asleep in her living room. At eleven they had finally gotten up and when asked about the cuts and bruises, the girls had simply said they had taken some basketball a little too far. Molly hadn't seemed convinced, but after determining they were all right, she had no choice but to believe them. Annie had gone upstairs to shower, and Carey had gone home after eating, and so Keely found herself once more alone with Jack on the living room couch.

"I have to talk to you," Keely said suddenly, surprising both Jack and herself.

"Sure," he said, removing his arm from her shoulder and pausing the movie they'd been watching. "What's up?"

"This isn't working," she said softly.

"What?" Jack asked, feeling a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. "This movie?"

"You know what I mean. This… us… it isn't going to work, Jack."

"Keely, what are you talking about?" he asked disbelievingly. "This is working. It's working great."

"No, it isn't," she insisted. Sighing loudly, she continued. "Jack, look. I like you, I really do. But we can't have a relationship."

"I don't understand."

"I'm not asking you to understand!" she yelled at him. "I'm asking you to let me go!"

They stared at each other, and Keely hated the hurt she saw in his eyes.

'_I have to,' _she thought. _'Whether I like it or not, I have to do this.'_

"That's it?" Jack asked her, his voice sounding harsh. "You suddenly decide it isn't going to work, don't even tell me WHY you think that, and we're supposed to forget about everything? I _like you, _Keely, a lot. I can't just ignore that. Not if you like me too."

"I told you I did," she said, pained. "I wasn't lying."

"Then why are you breaking up with me!"

He gripped her shoulders tightly, and then suddenly he kissed her. It was a rough kiss, pleading, asking her to stay. For a moment she was lost in it, but she pulled herself away, standing up and turning, so he wouldn't see the tears of regret in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And before he could say anything else, she left.

Jack stared at the doorway, his mouth hanging open in shock.

'_What just happened here?' _he asked himself. But he knew. Without reason, Keely had broken up with him.

All of a sudden, Annie appeared in his line of vision.

"Jack," she asked tentatively. "What's going on? You don't look so hot."

"Well yeah, generally people don't look very happy when their girlfriend decides to walk out on them," he spat at her.

"What?"

"She broke up with me, Annie! Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

She winced, and he immediately felt bad.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just… I really like her, Annie. I don't know what happened."

"I don't know either," she told him softly. "She hadn't said anything about it to me. Maybe she was just… trying to protect you. Because of what happened last night."

"Protect me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "From what?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "It was just an idea."

Neither of them spoke for a minute, and then Annie broke the silence.

"Want me to bring you a soda or something?" she asked him.

He glanced at her, and then gave her an almost-smile.

"That would be great," he answered.

* * *

'_You're running away again.'_

"I am not," she answered her thoughts. "I just can't do it to him, I can't."

Turning a corner sharply, she ran smack into someone. The bags he was carrying flew every which way, and she immediately bent down to grab them.

"I'm so sorry," she said, wiping traces of tears off her face. "It's been a rough morning, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Hey, no problem," the stranger told her, smiling. "Everybody has a tough day once in awhile."

"And don't I wish I was one of them," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Keely said, shaking her head. "Where'd you headed with all these bags anyway? Why not take a cab?"

"I'm a little short on cash," he told her earnestly. "Air-fare's expensive."

"Well since I knocked you down, can I at least help you carry this stuff?" she offered.

"Yeah, that'd be cool," he answered her. "I'm pretty close now, I live around here. Or, I used to. I'm back for a surprise visit."

"That's nice. Family?"

"Yeah."

The two of them walked down the street in silence until the reached a large blue house with white trim.

"This is the place," he announced. "See, not too far at all."

"Glad I could help," she said, extending a hand. "My name's Keira, by the way."

"Very cool name. I'm-"

"Is somebody out there?"

The screen door swung open from behind them, and he paused.

"Just in time, bro! Keira, my name is Clu. This is my brother, Carey."

"Small world," she muttered.

"Well don't just stand there, man!" Clu said eagerly, reaching out to hug his brother. He patted him on the back a few times before pulling away.

"I wanted to surprise you guys," he told him. "One of my professors got sick so a bunch of us are taking vacation. I ran into this cool chick on the sidewalk. Literally."

He smiled at her, and she gave a tight smile back.

'_What's up with the chick?' _Clu wondered. Then it hit him.

"Hey, sorry if this reunion's making you a little awkward," he told her. "Why don't you come in and have some milk or something."

"Oh, I'm sure Keely doesn't want to come in," Carey said quickly.

"Keely?"

"That's her name."

"I thought your name was Keira."

"It is," she said.

"Keely's her nickname," Carey chimed in.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Clu asked, confused.

"We've hung out once or twice," Keely said.

"She's Jack's girlfriend," Carey said.

"Ex-girlfriend."

"What!"

"What?"

"_What_ is going on?" Clu said, rubbing his temples.

"I guess it's a long story," Carey started to explain.

"No it isn't," she cut him off. "I'm a friend of Annie's. Sometimes Carey and Jack will hang out with us. I was Jack's girlfriend, now I'm not. Easy."

"Since when did Jack have a girlfriend?" Clu wondered aloud.

"And since when _didn't _he?" Carey continued.

"Oooh," Clu groaned, rubbing his temples. "I am majorly confused, man."

"Maybe I'd better come in after all," Keely sighed.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Clu said finally. "Before I ran into you, or, you ran into _me, _you were coming from breaking up with Jack?"

"Basically."

"Whoa. Small world, man."

Carey and Keely rolled their eyes. For the last twenty minutes they had been filling Clu in on everything that had happened since Annie and Keely had met.

'_Almost everything,' _Carey noticed. _'Neither of us mentioned last night.'_

The phone rang, and Clu reached to answer it.

"Hello, you've reached the Bell residence, how may I help you? Jack! Yeah man, I'm back in town! What? At home. Naw, he's right here. So is-"

Keely hissed at him, making motions not to tell Jack she was there. He nodded, seeming to get the message.

"I mean… it's just us. Hang on."

He pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Jack wants to know if we went to hang out with him and Annie."

Carey stole a glance at Keely.

"Uh… no, no you go ahead," Carey said. "You guys go catch up, we can hang out later."

Clu nodded, putting the receiver back to his mouth. "Yeah, I'll come over but Carey wants to stay here. Kay. See you in a few minutes, man."

He hung up, and stood, looking again at Keely and Carey.

"You guys sure you don't want to come too?"

"Yeah."

"Positive," they chorused.

"Suit yourselves, man," Clu said. "It was very nice meeting you, Keira. See you later, bro."

They heard the door slam, and the two of them sat awkwardly for a minute.

"You should go," Carey said finally. "I've got… stuff."

"Yeah," she agreed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears.

She started to leave, and then stopped, spinning back to face him.

"No. No, I shouldn't. Carey, I need to talk to you."

He blinked, unsure of what she needed to say.

'_She's going to talk about last night,' _he thought tensely. _'About what happened on the lawn.'_

"Okay, sure," he chuckled nervously.

She sighed heavily and sat back down.

"Look, I know you're not going to believe me," she started. "But I have to tell you the truth about me. Please just listen, and don't decide I'm crazy until I'm done, okay?"

"Sure," he said, completely stumped as to what she was going to say.

"Okay."

Slowly, she pulled down the collar of her shirt.

"Oh my… how did you get _that?_"

A large, red, fresh-looking scar ran from across her neck and down her collarbone.

"I fell," she said slowly. "I broke my neck. That's where the bone came through."

"All that? That's impossible! For your neck to break like that you'd have been-"

"Dead?"

They stared at each other for a minute before Keely pulled her collar lower. She stopped it just at her breastbone, took Carey's hand. His breath caught as she lifted it to her heart and ran his fingers lightly across her skin. Warmth shot through up through his arm and he started to pull away when he felt it, a slight bump indicating another scar.

"Stab wound," she said quietly.

Carey pulled his hand away and looked at the floor.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked carefully. "That you've…"

He stopped, and then looked at her closely.

"Wait. You fell? How did you fall?"

"I think you know that."

He laughed sharply and stood up, pacing.

"No way. There is _no way _that this is true. You're trying to tell me that you're what? A ghost?"

"A chaten."

He paused, looking at her incredulously.

"A what?"

"Sha-ten," she explained. "It's this… race. Look, Carey I'm not going to talk about this unless you're going to listen. I'll prove it to you."

"Great," he said sarcastically. "Because right now you seem kind of-"

"Crazy," she finished flatly. "You're freaked out because you don't know what to believe. You're excited Clu is home but you're worried about the real reason because you don't want him to drop out like you did. Now you're trying to rationalize this by thinking of a number I'm never going to guess, and it's fifteen thousand four hundred and thirty seven."

He froze, his mouth dropping open.

"How… what…?"

"Ready to listen?"

He nodded weakly, slumping onto the couch beside her.

"A long time ago," she told him, "there were these two families. Two sisters and their husbands. They wanted to be more like cats, agile and empathic. So they worked some magic. They invoked the spirits of their cats into them. And then their children had children and so on until there was this race of people with cat-like powers."

Carey blinked at her.

"That's kind of…"

"It's a lame story, I know. But it's true. And that's the best part. Chaten, like the myth, have nine lives. We age like everybody else, but we won't die officially until the ninth time. And there's a legend. If you can find a chaten and kill it, nine different ways, nine different times, their blood with make you immortal. I don't know if it's ever been done before but… I'm being hunted. Last night, Annie was right. I _was _dead when she found me. I just… came back."

"So… can't you just run away from this guy? I mean, cats are smart, you can outsmart him, can't you?" Carey asked stupidly.

"Usually," she answered. "But this guy's working some powerful magic. He sends me pictures right before, pictures of dead kittens. However the kitten died in the picture, that's how he's going to kill me. And sometimes, it isn't even his own hand. Something invisible pulled Annie and I into that house last night, and something invisible called me to that spot in the house where the floorboards broke. It wasn't an accident. It was _him._"

Carey heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"So _if _this is true, and I'm not saying I believe you… why tell me about it?"

"Because you felt it," she stated.

"I don't follow."

"Jack told me it was you who took him there. You felt that I was in danger, and you knew where to go. And when I died… I have to know. Did you feel that?"

He looked away, recalling the moment the night before when he had been overcome with pain. It was her face that had flashed in his mind then, and, with a start, he realized he somehow _had _known. Inexplicably, he had known she'd been in trouble.

"I thought so," she whispered.

The two of them sat in silence again until Carey finally turned back to face her.

"So what can you do?" he asked quickly. "I mean, what uh… powers do you have?"

"Does this mean you believe me?" she asked hopefully, raising her eyebrow.

"I don't seem to have a choice, do I?"

Keely smiled for the first time that afternoon, a genuine smile that lit up her entire face.

"Oh Carey!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you believe me."

At her touch, Carey felt an electric shock go through him, and she pulled away.

"Sorry," she blushed. "That shock thing. That'll probably happen when we touch. It's one of the powers you were asking about. Every chaten has someone… a guardian of sorts. They're called a kinsa. They share this bond, and the kinsa can feel whenever their chaten is in trouble. Each time we touch, there'll be a shock. Just a reinforcement of our bond, kind of."

"And I'm your kinsa?" Carey asked.

"Well, you felt me, didn't you?"

He nodded, realizing that despite the surrealism of what she was telling him, he _did _believe it.

"And my job is to, what, protect you?"

She smiled again, this time a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Think you can handle me?"

"Yeah," he smiled back. "I think so."

* * *

_Okay, kinda lame, just need to get through the muck before the real adventure can begin. Hope you're enjoying! Yay! _


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